A Randomized Study of School Safety and School-Based Mental Health Services

• In Event: Research on Innovative Strategies to Promote School Safety

Abstract

School safety problems in the middle grades are perpetrated by a small number of students who need selective and indicated interventions. The study to be presented was funded by the National Institute of Justice to test the process, outcomes, and cost effectiveness of several approaches to school-based mental health (SBMH) services to reduce school violence and promote positive school climates. We will randomize 24 middle schools that already have SBMH programs to receive treatment as usual, expanded treatment, or enhanced treatment; another 8 schools will serve as controls. Expanded treatment provides SBMH services for students not currently funded to receive them. Our enhanced treatment protocol trains school staff to implement two evidence-based approaches: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for students with RtI Tier 3 problems (e.g., aggression, self-injurious behaviors, anger) and the trauma-informed Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) group program for lesser Tier 2 problems. We will present our process evaluation examining implementation fidelity of these intensive treatments in a real-world setting. We will present baseline data on school safety, school climate, and access to SBMH services as well as our plan to measure these outcomes across 3 years to study the impact of these innovative approaches.

Authors

• Anna Yaros, RTI International

• James Trudeau, RTI International